Line Of Duty star Martin Compston has teased what's in store for the highly anticipated seventh series of the hit police drama, in which he stars alongside Vicky McClure and Adrian Dunbar.
It's been a busy year for Martin, who appeared on ITV's This Morning with hosts Ben Shephard and Cat Deeley on Thursday to talk about his new Paramount+ thriller The Revenge Club, as well as the latest season of Red Eye, which lands on ITV on New Year's Day.
After chatting through his current projects, Ben and Cat couldn't resist asking the Line of Duty questions everyone wants answered.
Martin Compston issues update on Line of Duty release date
Speaking about the announcement confirming the show's return back in November, Martin said: "I was so happy. I mean, it's been a long week of publicity with The Revenge Club and Red Eye coming out, and you do get tired of fibbing to people! You know, because we want to share it with everybody as well. But Jed [Mercurio, the show's creator] was quite adamant, and I think he's right.
"He said, 'Look, we know we're going to do one at some point. Until we have a start date and it's concrete...' Because there's no point, like, we could have said three years ago, yeah, we're going to do another one. But then people are going, like, when, when?"
Martin then offered an update on the much-coveted release date, and it's safe to say fans will need patience.
"We've announced it now, but it won't be out for a long time," admitted Martin. "People kind of get a bit fatigued by it, but I'm chuffed it's out there, relieved it's out there. And just selfishly, I'm looking forward to four months with my pals."
Martin teases 'extremely exciting' new plot
As the saying goes, you can't rush perfection, and with filming starting in late spring 2026, Martin promises it'll be worth the wait.
© Alamy Stock Photo"We're back now because Jed's got a great story to tell, you know, and with it, there's always like a kernel of truth of what's happening in real life, and what he's taken at this time is extremely exciting," he said.
"I've read the first three. I never doubt him because he just delivers. You know, he knows how to write high-octane thrillers. But, there's a lot of pressure that comes with it, but good pressure, you know? I think I'm lucky it came to me at a time in my life where I'm just proud to be a part of it. It's a great thing that people have this massive affection for it and want us back. So long may that continue."
With six previous seasons and a 96% score on Rotten Tomatoes, Line of Duty has become one of the most acclaimed police dramas in recent years – and we can't wait to see what the next instalment has in store. You can catch up with Martin and the AC-12 gang on BBC iPlayer, where all seasons are available to stream.
